The best fish and chips near Roman Road
Whether it’s Friday night, the weekend, or even a mid-week treat, fish and chips always hits the spot. But where’s best to go around Roman Road?
There’s nothing quite like tucking into warm salted chips, fresh battered cod and creamy mushy peas for dinner – all the better if it comes with a classic wooden fork and sachets of ketchup or a dollop of Tartare sauce. If British cuisine knows one thing, it’s how to deep fry fish so that it’s delightfully delicate on the inside and crispy on the outside. This is especially true for the East End, which can claim to be the home of fish and chips – after Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin opened the first chippy in 1860 in Bow on Old Ford Road. The shop was so successful that it remained in business until the 1970s.
While sadly Malin’s is no longer around, we still have so many great local places to choose from. So much so, it’s easy to flounder on a Friday night when you’re in need of a fishy fix. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best fish and chip shops in town.
Greedy Fish and Chips
This Globe Town establishment with its newspaper-covered interior sits opposite Peckover Butchers. The shop’s co-owner, Ali Yukselir is no stranger to the business, bringing 30 years of experience to the game – he previously opened a chippie in Bethnal Green which has been going since the 90s.
Greedy’s menu includes an impressive array of fish, from ultimate classics such as cod, hake and haddock, to the more unusual: battered mussels and wholetail scampi. If deep fried fish isn’t your favourite, they also have a grilled fish section on their menu, including salmon and king prawns – all reasonably priced.
What makes Greedy’s special is how they prepare their skinless fish, which uses groundnut oil and halloumi butter. For those looking to spice up their chip orders, you can choose between normal, sweet potato or halloumi chips, with the option to add gravy on top.
For vegetarians, they sell jamaican patties, veggie burgers and vegetable sausages.
BEST FOR: grilled fish
Find Greedy Fish and Chips at 150 Roman Road, E2 0RY
Chipping Wharf
This newly opened fish ‘n’ chip shop is already making waves in the established East End fish and chip scene.
Set up down the road from the first ever chippie, Malin’s, it opened on Old Ford Road at the end of August by Mustafa Has, the brains behind Roman Road’s lively Cafe East and Bethnal Green’s Juice Trap.
The menu is simple but effective. The fish is battered fresh for the customer (no hot shelf here), and a hearty portion of chips is piled on the side. It also has a small bites menu, for children or those wanting a smaller portion. The homemade tartar sauce is a must try. Zingy, tangy, and creamy, it’s the perfect partner to the thickly, yet light, battered cod.
Given its near to the original East End chipping, the inspiration for the decor harks back to a bygone era. Brass fittings, brass lighting, and a chess-board tiled flooring complement the white-washed walls and dark blue arches. The shop front’s distinctive fish sign was created by Has and Roman Road’s Luminor Sign Co., the same company behind the shop front signage for Cafe East and Juice Trap.
Seating is mainly outside on the adjacent terrace so either pull up a pew and tuck in, or take your fish supper and have a walk around Vicky Park. Bliss.
BEST FOR: Tartar sauce
Find Chipping Wharf at 462 Old Ford Road, E3 5JP
Britannia Fish Bar
Britannia Fish Bar’s bright blue exterior can be spotted from far away when strolling down Grove Road. Sitting on the fringes of Mile End Park and a stone’s throw away from Queen Mary’s University, this chippie has been an affordable and consistent favourite among locals and students for the past 30 years. In the warmer months, residents can be seen lounging on Haverfield Green catching the last rays of the sun with fish and chips in hand.
Britannia’s menu is as you expect: a good selection of fish including cod, haddock, plaice, rock, scampi and the slightly pricier, skate. According to Britannia’s team, the customer favourite by far is cod.
Their chips are hailed by regular Graham Smith, ‘Britannia’s is my wife’s favourite. Their chips are nice and crispy on the outside, with a soft, fluffy inside. Whatever you order, you get a good sized portion too.’ Local resident Vicks Hatcher also praises Britannia for their quality food, ‘you can tell they always cook their fish in fresh oil, which makes a big difference’.
Britannia is open for takeaway only from Monday to Saturday from 11am-11pm. Local Beverley Charters has a great insider’s tip for when they’re busy, ‘you can ring up and pre-order which can help when there’s long queues.’
BEST FOR: crispy and fluffy chips
Find Britannia Fish Bar at 101 Grove Road, E3 5RP
Saucy Kipper
626 Roman Road, Bow E3 2RW
The 50-year-old Saucy Kipper next to Gregg’s on Roman Road is a well-loved local favourite. Stepping into this traditional chippie is like stepping back in time; next to its classic heated glass countertop stands a jar of pickled onions. Their fresh fish – cod, rock salmon, haddock, plaice and skate – comes with thickly cut chips, cocooned in paper and served with a wooden fork.
It’s known to locals as Savvas’ due to its delightfully friendly owner from Cyprus, Savvas Agyrou, who’s been feeding customers since 1970. ‘People call me the “Codfather”‘ Argyrou chuckles as he describes his job, ‘because I’ve been here so long. I’ll always be here. It’s my life.’
Charisma aside, the Saucy Kipper also makes selling high-quality fish their priority. Agyrou goes to the fish shop everyday at 6am to collect fresh deliveries, ‘I don’t believe in frozen fish… frozen has a completely different taste,’ he explains.
Local regulars Pauline Blackledge and Paul Wellington are big fans of the Saucy Kipper’s fish. Blackledge’s dish of choice is their ‘skate and chips’, while Wellington loves their haddock and how ‘Savvas and his staff always have time for a chat; I regard them as friends’.
The Saucy Kipper is currently open from 11am – 11pm everyday for takeaway and delivery to any postcode. Heads up: their busiest evenings are Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.
BEST FOR: old school charm
Find Saucy Kipper Fish Bar at 626 Roman Road, E3 2RW
Fish and Ships
Fish and Ships comes highly recommended from Globe Town inhabitants. ‘Great quality and reasonably priced – you can’t go wrong’, enthuses local resident Nick Reilly.
Their fish menu, which contains the usual suspects, comes in two sizes: regular or large, making Fish and Ships a great lunch spot too. Their friendly team say the customer choice is, of course, cod and chips. For those wanting a less traditional accompaniment to their fish, they also sell halloumi fries, cheesy chips, onion rings, spring rolls and Pukka pies.
With seating inside and a peaceful location just off Old Ford Road, this makes a good choice for eating in. But if you don’t feel like making the voyage to Fish and Ships, the shop also offers delivery via UberEats, Deliveroo and JustEats.
This chippie is currently open for takeaway from Monday to Saturday, 1pm-9pm.
BEST FOR: seating inside
Find Fish and Ships at 1 St James’s Avenue, E2 9JD
Wick Fisheries
For our Hackney Wick friends, the no-frills Wick Fisheries is a very convenient option; they offer both takeaway and delivery.
As their vibrant orange, branded exterior suggests, this chippie sells a range of Pukka pies, but they are best known for their fish and chips. You can choose between cod, rock, plaice, haddock and skate, at very affordable prices. For the vegetarians, they sell cheese and onion pasties, spring rolls and mushy pea fritters.
Wick Fisheries is open from Monday to Saturday from 11.30am to 10pm. If you want to enjoy their menu from your home, you can deliver on UberEats and Deliveroo.
BEST FOR: vegetarian options
Find Wick Fisheries at 245 Wick Road, E9 5DG
If you want to venture further afield, our readers also recommend Barry’s Fish Bar on Devons Road, Fish House in Victoria Park Village and Captain’s Table in Poplar.
Enjoyed this roundup? Check out the best pizza Roman Road has to offer.
